


Take My Jacket, It's Cold Outside

by VorpalGirl



Series: 100 Ways To Say I Love You [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: 100 ways to say i love you, AGSZC - Freeform, Banter, Cold Weather, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Multi, Prompt Fill, Short One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 19:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5797384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VorpalGirl/pseuds/VorpalGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's cold in Midgar, which is just how Cloud likes it.</p><p>Now if only he could get his boyfriends to comprehend that fact...<br/> </p><p>(AGSZC with a focus on Clack/Zakkura; based on entry No. 12 in the list of "100 Ways To Say I Love you")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take My Jacket, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a prompt fill for "AGSZC for No. 12", based on the "[](http://vorpalgirl.tumblr.com/post/137778099893/one-hundred-ways-to-say-i-love-you>100%20Ways%20To%20Say%20I%20Love%20You</a>) It's more Clacky than full AGSZC but there's hints of the latter for those who like it ;)
> 
> (And yes, temperatures are given in Celsius. I'm used to Fahrenheit myself, but I converted it over because I figure that 1. most countries run on Celsius 2. Japan, which originated the games, is one of those countries and if they mention temperature anywhere at all it's probably in Celsius and 3. it's another Planet anyway and given how complicated the process was to come up with Fahrenheit system -- it's based on human body temperatures except the measurements were slightly off because old-school equipment so the average basal body temperature isn't even 100 degrees like intended -- compared to Celsius? I decided the latter made more sense for Gaia :P)

  
  
Zack Fair grew up in a jungle.  
  
Zack Fair _hated_ the cold.  
  
However, Zack Fair was also a Mother Chocobo of the highest order, and seeing Cloud Strife jogging along in nothing but a tank top and shorts had him pausing. And running backwards a little.  
  
“Spike? Seriously!? You’re gonna catch cold like that!” he was already shrugging off his parka by the end of the sentence, but paused when Cloud let out a harsh _bark_ of a laugh.  
  
“Oh my _gods_ Zack!” he said breathlessly. “Seriously? Do you guys have _nothing_ better to do?”  
  
“I – what?” the brunet blinked in surprise. “What guys? What’re you–”  
  
“You are literally the _fourth_ person to offer me a jacket or sweater or – other… heat source…thing!” Cloud said, leaning forward on his knees. He was laughing again, though it was more of a breathy chuckle now. He glanced up at Zack with a bemused, albeit affectionate expression. “What I want to know is _why_?”  
  
“Are you kidding me?” Zack said. “I – wait, who else did? And why didn’t you take them up on it!?”  
  
Cloud stood straighter, and began to tick off fingers. “Sephiroth – before I even left for my run. Genesis – took one look at me and offered me his jacket _and_  his latte, on the way to a materia demonstration – I took up him up on a sip of the latter, but only because of the caffeine honestly? And then Angeal, who _literally_ shoved a sweater into my hands on his way past – oh, which reminds me!”  
  
He then removed the (from the looks of it, hand-knit) sweater he had wrapped around his waist, carefully folded it, and tossed it to Zack. “Could you return this to him? He was in a rush to get somewhere, so I didn’t have time to explain – “  
  
 “But – no! I mean – _why_!?” Zack said, mouth agape. “It’s _freezing_ out!”  
  
“No, it’s not,” Cloud scoffed.   
  
“Yes, it totally is!”  
  
“It’s only 10 or so degrees,” Cloud said. “That’s not even _remotely_ close to freezing. _Freezing_ , is _zero_ degrees, Zack.”

“I – but –”  
  
Cloud laughed, and admittedly it was…extremely cute. Still breathy, but genuinely amused and – man, that breathlessness kinda put his mind in a different direction…  
  
“Zack,” Cloud said patiently. “Where am I from?”  
  
“…Nibelheim?”  
  
“Which is?”  
  
“…noooorth of Gongaga? I think?”  
  
“Yes,” Cloud said. “And it’s at the base of a _mountain_. And I used to _climb_ that mountain all the time. Including the snowy parts. Which, you know, were a lot colder than _10 degrees_.”  
  
It took a moment to click, but when it did…  
  
“Wait, you’re _used_ to…this!?” he gestured around him, presumably at the air in general.   
  
“This and worse,” Cloud said, hands on hips. “Between the reactors, the mako fumes, and the plates holding in the heat, it’s too warm in Midgar to even _snow_. You kidding me? I’ve been waiting all _year_ for the weather to cool down like this! I’m actually comfortable running outside for a change!”  
  
“…oh,” Zack said. “So…you don’t need…?” He gestured to the jacket.  
  
“No, I don’t, Jungle Boy,” Cloud teased. “Save it for when we’re in actual _snow_ and I might borrow it, but right now, I’m fine.”

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. “Ah…I…see.”  
  
He paused, though, a thought occurring to him…  
  
Something about the grin spreading across Zack’s face must have given him partly away, because Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “What?”  
  
“Weeell,” he said, his tone a perfectly terrible imitation of innocence. “I was just thinking…”  
  
“That’s a new one,” Cloud snorted.  
  
“Shut up! I’m tryna be  _suave_  here!” Zack pouted.  
  
The corner Cloud’s lip twitched upward. “Oh?”   
  
“Yes, well,” Zack said, putting his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels a little. “I was just _thinking_ : if you’re used to this kinda cold, then you _must_ be pretty warm right now, what with the running, yeah?”  
  
“I’m not cold, if that’s what you’re asking,” Cloud said, narrowing his eyes again but – Zack couldn’t help but note – with a hint of mirth rather than real suspicion.   
  
“Right, well, me being a poor little Jungle Boy,” Zack said, attempting to frown Angeal-esquely but mostly just succeeding in creating another pout. “I’m positively _frosted.”  
_  
“Oh? Even in that parka?” Cloud teased.   
  
“ _Especially_ in the parka,” Zack said solemnly. “I’m thinkin’, this thing isn’t _nearly_ as effective as say, body heat and a blanket would be…”  
  
He knew he was on the right track when Cloud laughed, in that warm, caught-off-guard chuckle with a bit of a hitch that Zack adored so very, _very_ much.    
  
“Oh,” Cloud said, smirking at him in exactly the way that made Zack’s heart skip a beat. “I see. So, you’re saying _you_ could use some warming up?”  
  
He nodded, vigorously. “Absolutely! And it sounds like the other guys are all so busy, and well, you’ve obviously got the body heat to share…I mean, _spare_ …”  
  
He wasn’t expecting the punch in the arm. “Ow!” he said, though more in surprise than pain – Cloud hadn’t hit hard enough to actually hurt. “Hey! Come on, that was smooth as hell!”  
  
“It was absolutely the _least_ smooth you’ve ever been since ‘hey, how about a date?’ – “  
  
“Oh come on! It’s all in the delivery! And it worked, didn’t it?”  
  
“Only because I have a thing for total dorks,” Cloud snickered – but, to Zack’s immense satisfaction, he then leaned in and up on his toes, to give him a quick peck on the cheek anyway. “Twenty minutes? If you can wait that long, you goober.”  
  
“I could wait all night for you, My Darling Golden Chocobo,” Zack teased back, returning the gesture.  
  
Cloud rolled his eyes and punched him in the arm again for that, but Zack still got his snuggles in the end – and then some – so he counted it as a win. 


End file.
